Air quality control, the greenery way

As winter bears down upon us, those of us living in the colder climates are spending our days in closed up homes and offices. That means we're breathing in stuff we probably shouldn't be. 

Did you know that houseplants can improve the air quality indoors? Having the right plants around is especially useful when you're doing home improvements like painting or installing new carpets or flooring, or even when you get new furniture. 

Here's a list of plants that are perfectly suited for various rooms in your home and workplace:

• Aloe Vera -- This is a good plant for every room, as it's one of the best in cleaning your air.
• English Ivy -- Perfect for the bedroom or basement, as it's been known to reduce airborne mold by as much as 94%!
• Jasmine -- Every bedroom needs a jasmine plant! Jasmine helps improve the quality of sleep you get. If I had a nursery, there would definitely be a jasmine plant up on a shelf above the crib!
• Lavender -- Again, an ideal choice for the bedroom. It's also a good choice for the office, as lavender is known for its stress-relieving properties.
• Rosemary -- Why not pair a rosemary plant with the lavender in your office, since rosemary works to improve your memory. Maybe it'll help you avoid those, "What was that word?" moments at the computer.
• Snake Plant -- If you experience headaches, a snake plant might be the answer in whatever room you spend a lot of time in.

Finally, I want to mention a list of plants that thrive on sucking up formaldehyde, one of my worst offenders for my chemical sensitivities. One or more of these plants are a MUST in offices full of pressed wood furnishings and commercial carpeting. Place them everywhere that formaldehyde is polluting!

• Boston Fern -- This plant is known to positively devour formaldehyde. They also dig benzene and xylene, so keep 'em close to your attached garage!
• Palm Trees -- Particularly the Dwarf Date Palm if formaldehyde is your primary concern. Areca and Lady Palms are also good choices.
• Rubber Plants -- Here's a perk -- they do really well in dim light. Perfect for an interior office with no windows!
• Dracaena "Janet Craig" -- Ditto the above perk.
• Peace Lily -- It will also take care of some of the VOCs in cleaning products, if you work in an office building where harsh cleansers are used.
• Philedendron -- Extremely durable, but keep it out of direct sunlight!
• Spider Plant -- According to a study at the Beijing University of Chemical Technology, the spider plant is the winner when it comes to eating up formaldehyde. Why not place one beside your Boston fern and let the competition begin!

Now, in this season of indoor gardening, let's put up a fight against the indoor pollutants that are hurting our families. Let's go green as in greenery!